


Thriller Night (And Other Happenings At the 21st Amendment)

by lindianajones



Series: The Teacher AU [2]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Insecurity, Lambert Has Feelings (The Witcher), Lambert Has Self-Esteem Issues (The Witcher), M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Pansexual Character, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-26 22:22:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30112929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lindianajones/pseuds/lindianajones
Summary: Aiden is just trying to survive Halloween night and make sure that his bar doesn't burn down. But when a misunderstanding arises between Aiden and his partner, Lambert, they need to go to his office and talk about it.This is part of a series, but it can be read as a one-shot.
Relationships: Aiden/Lambert (The Witcher), Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: The Teacher AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2143155
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	Thriller Night (And Other Happenings At the 21st Amendment)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I know that I said I would have this up weeks ago, so I apologize for the delay. For anyone who has not read the other part of the series, all you need to know is that Geralt and Jaskier work together in the same school and are pining after each other and Aiden and Lambert are dating. Thank you to my beta-reader Processpending. I hope you enjoy the first chapter :)

Aiden sighed in exhaustion as he surveyed the flashing lights and the intoxicated patrons of his bar. Removing the hand towel from his shoulder, he wiped the sweat gathering on his brow before turning to his next customer, taking the young woman’s order robotically. As he turned towards the bar to gather the materials for the requested cocktail he felt a knot of tension gathering at the base of his neck and he growled in frustration.

He loved his bar, truly. It was his greatest success and his first—and only—child, but like any responsibility there were days that he wished it did not exist. Days when all he wanted was a carefree evening spent in the arms of his lover. Tonight was one of those nights. 

Halloween was his favorite holiday, something that he had in common with Lambert. When they were younger, before he had bought the bar, the two of them had spent countless Halloweens drunk on the feeling of youth and tequila, lavishing in the attention of one another. Although they had not become a couple until about a year ago, Aiden had been in love with the red-head since he’d laid eyes on him. All of which made him even grumpier that he couldn’t spend the evening snuggled up to his boyfriend on their favorite holiday. Instead, he had the pleasure of serving drinks to whiny customers, some of whom looked like they were freshman in college. 

Speaking of which, he finished making the margarita for the young woman standing at the counter and handed her the glass. “Here you go! Twelve dollars, please.”

The blonde woman smirked at him lasciviously before handing him her card. “Sure thing, Handsome.”

Aiden chuckled uncomfortably and took the card while simultaneously turning towards the register. While entering her information, he caught a glimpse of the blonde giving him a look that would have had him calling an Uber two years earlier. Now, while he still appreciated her beauty, he would rather spend the night pressed against a certain someone with burlier arms and darker hair. With that thought, he grabbed her receipt and sent a charming wink towards the woman. “Thanks, love. Have a good night!” With that he dashed down the counter to the next customers in line. As he served the next couple, two people closer to his age, he saw the woman pout as she took her drink and dashed into the crowd. He internally shrugged, knowing that she would undoubtedly find someone else as the night continued. 

A few customers later he found himself arguing with a drunk idiot. The young man was attempting to bargain with him for free drinks. Although his friend was trying to stop him, he was having little success. “What if you give me two for one?” He slurred with an overconfident smile that only alcohol and privilege could buy.

Aiden gritted his teeth before forcing a customer service smile onto his own face. “How about you pay for the drink and I don’t take a closer look at your ID?”

The younger man looked as though he was about to protest before one of his friends hit him in the back of the head. “Ow!” He protested, rubbing the sore spot. After receiving a glare from his friend, the guy grumbled and handed over his card. “That’s better.” Aiden replied before turning away to process the payment. On his way back from the till, he caught a glimpse of a familiar face. Facing in that direction, he found Priscilla standing at the counter and staring at him with a single-minded gaze. He chuckled at her antics and handed the smoking drinks to the two men in front of him before heading in Priscilla’s direction. 

As he sauntered over, he took notice that there was a handsome man standing next to her. He looked to be the same age as Pris, but it was difficult to tell from his youthful features. His thick, brown hair was spiked up with copious amounts of hair gel while his wide, blue eyes darted nervously around the bar. As he approached them, his mind helpfully supplied that Priscilla had mentioned that she would be bringing her friend Jaskier tonight. In all the chaos he had forgotten, but he would be having words with Priscilla later; she had never mentioned how handsome her long-lost best friend was. 

Clearing his mind of the mysterious stranger, he cried out, “Pris!” Before leaping over the bar to envelop her in a hug. “It’s been too long. How are you?”

He heard her melodious laughter next to his ear as she answered. “Aiden, it’s only been a week!” 

He shook his head at her statement. Although it was true, a week seemed an awfully long time to be parted from one’s friends. “Yup! A week too long!” With a final squeeze, he let her go and focused all his attention on the blue-eyed man standing next to Priscilla. Though Jaskier was physically taller than him, the nervous energy he projected made him seem smaller. “And you must be Jaskier,” he said while extending his hand. “Oh, it’s so nice to finally meet you. Pris talks about you all the time.”

The other man cautiously took Aiden’s hand as a small smile spread across his handsome features. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Aiden.” He said, a smooth, tenor voice spilling forth. “So, do you work here?”

A chuckle escaped past his lips at the question. It seemed that Jaskier was just as nervous as he first appeared. That was strange. He remembered Priscilla telling him stories that painted the other man as confident and impulsive. Those descriptions did not match the person standing in front of him now. As he mused on these differences, he replied. “Yeah, you could say that.”

With a grin spreading across his face, one that he hoped would put Jaskier at ease, he turned back to Priscilla. “Honestly Pris, did you tell Jaskier nothing about me?” When Pris offered nothing in response but a playful shrug and a sharp elbow to the ribs, he rubbed the tender spot and returned his attention to Jaskier. “Yes, I work here, but I also own the place. Welcome to The 21st Amendment.” 

He saw Jaskier blush at his statement, but he just smiled and guided the small group over to an empty space at the bar. After indicating that he would be right back, he started towards the entrance to the bar. He only had one good leap over the bar a night; he’d be walking for the rest of the evening. 

As he turned his attention back to his current company, he saw Jaskier urgently hissing something into Priscilla’s ear with a rising blush on his cheeks. Apparently Jaskier thought he was equally as handsome. While he was flattered, and a few years ago he would have matched the blue-eyed man’s advances, he would not do so now. Though he had no problem with open relationships, he knew that Lambert did. He’d rather have Lambert for the rest of his days than a slew of beautiful, nameless strangers for a few nights. That wouldn’t stop him from being a little flirtatious; he was fairly certain that nothing short of death would stop him from being an incorrigible flirt. 

Aiden was pulled out of his ruminations by Priscilla’s voice. “So, what’s on the menu tonight, bartender?” 

He smirked at the question and flicked her with the towel sitting on his shoulder. “You are getting The Special, tonight.” Without leaving room for argument, he took the necessary bottles of liquor, quickly measuring them in the jigger and tossing them into the shaker. Dividing his attention from the task at hand, something he could probably do blindfolded, he perused Jaskier and Priscilla’s costumes. They were both wearing black leather jackets, but that was where the similarities ended. Priscilla wore a deep, red tank top and black combat boots, something that Aiden knew for a fact must have been bought for this occasion. He had seen the insides of her closet many times before, and this pair of shoes was foreign to him. The black skinny jeans were familiar, as were the pieces of jewelry: one metallic necklace and two black bangles hanging off her right wrist. She had traded in her usual professional face makeup for a bold red lip and a dark eye. She looked fantastic, but he had no idea who she was supposed to be.

Maybe he could guess by figuring out Jaskier’s costume. Shifting his focus to the taller man, he was wearing a simple white t-shirt and loose, black slacks under his leather jacket. Even with the hair gel, he could not pinpoint who they were supposed to be. 

Admitting defeat, he finally asked, “I give up. What’s your costume?”

Twin smiles spread across their faces as Jaskier lifted up a finger signalling him to wait. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Pris pull out a wooden stake while a brooding expression took its place on Jaskier’s face. In that moment, Jaskier reminded him of Lambert’s older brother, Geralt. Taking in the tableau in front of him, he let out a bark of laughter, finally understanding what he was seeing. “You’re Angel and Faith!” He exclaimed in triumph. 

They nodded in tandem, both pleased that he finally recognized their costume. Aiden knew that Pris would have been upset if he hadn’t figured it out. She loved Halloween just as much as he did. Wanting to continue the small game they had started, he complimented them on their costume and asked what they thought he was. Once the question was posed, he got into character, drawing on all of the old gangster movies he used to watch with his parents. There was a moment of silence as the two stared at him in consternation before Pris blurted out, “Al Capone?”

It was a good answer. Truthfully, it was the best answer he had gotten all night, but it was not the perfect answer. To be fair, the full answer was a mouthful that nobody would guess. Well, Lambert might be able to pick the right answer, but Lambert had an unnerving ability to see straight through him. Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he nodded in acknowledgement. “Close. I’m specifically a 20s mobster who’s angry about the 21st amendment.”

He watched as his words sunk in, both of their faces shifting into an expression of comprehension and then swiftly in that of restrained humor. Finally, they both burst into contagious hysterical laughter which left him bending over, gasping for air. He could feel the eyes of his patrons trained on the raucous group, but he couldn’t give less of a shit if he tried. He might be at work, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t enjoy the little joy he could find. After finally settling down, he lifted up head, looked at Jaskier, and promptly burst into little giggles once more. 

Shaking his head to clear away the vestiges of joy, he turned around and put on the garnishes for the evening’s Special. He wished he could take credit for the amazing cocktail, but one of his bar staff had concocted the smoking beverage. She was a brilliant young woman that worked at the bar part-time while she got her Master’s. He dreaded the day she left. Turning around, he handed the drinks to Jaskier and Pris while saying his scripted line. “Don’t drink it until it stops smoking. It could kill you.”

They nodded at his warning, Jaskier going the extra mile and moving the drink a few inches away from himself on the counter, before twisting his arm behind himself and producing a dark-brown, leather wallet. Aiden, predicting Jaskier’s next course of action, waved away the wallet. “Oh no! Don’t worry about it. It’s on the house.” Any friend of Pris was a friend of his, although it didn’t hurt that Jaskier was painfully handsome. 

The blue-eyed man shook his head vehemently as shock spread across his face. “What? No, take it.” He insisted, trying to push the card into Aiden’s hand, but Aiden just clasped the proffered hand, leaving the payment in place. Jaskier leveled him with a mild glare, but he just smiled in response. The other man might be stubborn, but so was he. He had his mother’s Latina spirit and he wouldn’t be backing down. 

But as he looked into Jaskier’s eyes he could see that this wasn’t just stubbornness; it was something deeper. Something darker. It all laid in the hint of desperation in his eyes as he still held out the card. Aiden knew he had to say something further to allay any fears that lingered. “No, I insist. If you want to make it up to me, go out there and have a fun time.” He paused before adding, “Shouldn’t be too hard for a handsome guy like you.” With a wink and a grin, he moved on to the next customer, a young woman with long, brown hair dressed up as Catwoman. As he took her order he watched Jaskier blink in surprise, a dazed expression gracing his features, before he followed Pris into the crowd.

Aiden grinned at the response that his mild flirting had drawn from the taller man. Another time and another place he would have continued his attempts at wooing Jaskier, but nowadays he was a kept man. Anyways, Jaskier needed something steadier than a younger version of himself could have given. 

The night rolled on in a blur of cocktails and drunken revelry until another familiar face made its way over to the bar. He heard a strong voice calling out his name and paused his conversation to look for the origin of the shout. His eyes landed on Jaskier, whose cornflower eyes were once again filled with anxiety. Behind him stood another familiar bulky and monochrome figure. Aiden’s eyebrows rose in shock, realizing that the two must know one another. Instead of projecting his surprise, he offered Jaskier a smile of acknowledgement and turned his attention back to his customers. “Sorry about that! One g&t and a Sex on the Beach, right?” Once he received confirmation, he started to make the drinks and contemplate this new development. 

Geralt never went out. Never. It was a huge point of contention between Lambert and his brother, Lambert insisting that it wasn’t healthy for Geralt to never socialize. Personally, Aiden agreed, but Geralt often refused invitations out, citing his need to stay sober and available for Ciri. Aiden understood. When he had turned eighteen, he had left a lot of younger siblings in the foster system. Throughout college he felt guilty, often turning down invitations to go partying with his teammates in lieu of studying and staying by the phone in case his siblings needed something. The older that his family got, the more at ease he became with enjoying himself. It seemed that Geralt was much the same. At least it seemed that way.

Studying Geralt from the periphery of his vision, he noticed that a tenseness held his body taught, as though he were a bow string pulled back into position. Even as his lips moved, presumably speaking to Jaskier, Geralt was uneasy. Aiden frowned, concerned about the man he had come to see as an older brother. He might be a broody asshole, but Geralt was also a kind man. He deserved good things.

As he continued to pay partial attention to the two men, he started to notice little things. How the corners of Geralt’s eyes loosened as he listened to Jaskier speak. How Jaskier’s hands fluttered as he spoke, seemingly wanting to reach out to Geralt and comfort him. Maybe knowing Jaskier could be that good thing Geralt deserved. 

Finishing the transaction, he walked over to the two men who suddenly fell silent when he individually greeted them. “I didn’t know you two knew each other,” he said with a smile, throwing a towel over his shoulder to give his hands something to do. “Small world! You here for refills?”

“Yes, please!” Jaskier responded in an overly cheery voice that belied his concern. There was a slight pause before he continued. “And also a spare shirt if you have one. I  _ might _ have spilled my cocktail all over Geralt.” Aiden watched as Jaskier sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and avoided eye-contact with the mountain of muscle stood beside him. 

Aiden shifted his focus over to said mountain of muscle and noticed that his shirt was clinging to his chest, not that his clients seemed to find that off-putting. In fact, he caught several people glancing at Geralt, appreciating the view. He grinned at the brazenness of one woman who was outright staring at his boyfriend’s brother with a slackened jaw as her friend pulled her to the dance floor. Some things never change. “Ah, yes,” he responded. “I noticed you were looking wetter than when I last saw you.”

At that moment he had a devious idea, one that would make Lambert burst out in laughter and make Geralt murderous if he ever found out. It was perfect. “I have a spare shirt or two back here, but they might be too small for you,” he said in the most nonchalant tone he could muster. With a frown on his face, he pretended to think deeply about the issue at hand, even though he knew there were several shirts that would fit Geralt’s broad frame. But Geralt didn’t need to know that. And this was infinitely more fun.

After he finished putting all the ingredients in the shaker, he looked up with an innocent smile plastered on his face. “Maybe you could go shirtless and give my clientele a Halloween treat.” 

Their reactions to his cheeky suggestion were worth it. Geralt’s face turned even stormier, glowering at Aiden, knowing that he had his hands tied. Lambert would never speak to Geralt again if he tried to fight Aiden. He had immunity to Geralt’s true wrath. 

Jaskier’s reaction was just as priceless, if not more so. The other man’s fair skin turned a glowing red, obviously flustered at the lascivious suggestion. He was now avoiding both of their eyes, desperately staring at a spot on the counter. Aiden smirked at the sight, now certain that at least Jaskier harbored feelings for Geralt. The question remained as to whether Geralt returned them. Aiden suspected that was a non-question, but he would have to ask Lambert to be sure. 

He was pulled from his ruminations by Geralt’s raspy voice, wryly asking, “Isn’t there a ‘No Shirt, No Shoes’ policy?”

Laughter clawed its way out of Aiden’s throat as he placed the garnishes on the pair of cocktails. “Technically, yes, but since I’m the owner I am allowed to make exceptions.” He punctuated the statement with a wink that was met with an unimpressed glare. 

They locked eyes for a moment, fighting for dominance in the situation, until Geralt huffed out a slightly amused puff of air. “I think I’ll take my chances with the tight shirt.” He frowned before leaning forward and saying, “By the way, your boyfriend is not having a good time. If I were you, I’d step out from behind the bar and remedy that.”

Immediately, Aiden lifted his head and scanned the bar for a familiar head of red hair. Where was he? Why hadn’t he come to the bar with his brother? He had been so fascinated by Jaskier and Geralt that he had lost sight of what really mattered—Lambert. He needed to find his boyfriend. Something must have been terribly wrong for Geralt to have said anything. That man had a hard enough time voicing his own emotions, let alone someone else's. 

“Yeah, thanks Geralt. Here,” he said, pulling out the pink t-shirt he had stowed underneath the bar. Without a second thought, he chucked it at Geralt’s head. A small, petulant part of him felt disappointed that he wouldn’t have the chance to enjoy his prank, but he had bigger fish to fry. But...maybe he could have a little fun on the way. With that in mind, he turned back towards Geralt. “This is really all I have. It’s either this or going shirtless. Now, if you excuse me, I have a boyfriend to check on. Bye Jask, Geralt.” And without another glance, he headed towards the corner booth that he knew Geralt favored, hoping beyond hope that Lambert would be there. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading y'all! Comment and kudos below, and if you like my work check out the rest of the series! Thanks :)


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